Navy to name research ship for Neil Armstrong

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy said Monday (Sept. 24) it will name an ocean research ship after the late Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon and a former naval aviator.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said the oceanographic research ship to be named for Armstrong is equipped with acoustic equipment capable of mapping the deepest parts of the ocean. It also carries on-board laboratories for oceanographic research.

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The 238-foot-long “Armstrong-class” ship is currently under construction by shipbuilder Dakota Creek Industries (Anacortes, Wash.). It will be outfitted with multi-drive diesel electric engines capable of operating at 12 knots (about 14 miles per hour).